It’s no secret that I love to read. Growing up, I more often than not had my head in a book, even at family parties or other social events. I even would occasionally read during class in grade school with the book in my lap just below my desk. Some favorites included Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Edgar Allen Poe, Sweet Valley High, The Babysitters Club, and anything soccer-related. It’s no surprise I got a bachelor’s degree in English.
I love completely immersing myself in other worlds and expanding my perspective on life. I typically will read anywhere from 50 to 150 books per year, depending on the type of book and my schedule. As someone with ADHD, I’m actually a slow reader and tend to read the same paragraph or page repeatedly or lose my place or train of thought.
Fiction books are faster reads for me, as I get sucked into the story and want to find out what happens next. Hyperfocus often keeps me reading until the late hours of the night. Non-fiction books (usually fitness, nutrition, behavior change, psychology, business, content creation, feminism, culture, politics, coaching, art, history, and activism) take more time to finish, and I’m also taking notes (I’ve learned that writing things down is the best way for me to actually remember what I’ve read).
I thought I’d start sharing the books I’m currently reading or planning to read each month and share my love of the written word and the reads that I think you’ll enjoy and/or find helpful. So, here’s April 2024 To Be Read List:
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
by Amanda Montell
I’m a big fan of Amanda Montell’s podcast Sounds Like a Cult, and this book is a fascinating blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores common cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking (according to Montell, “the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world”).
In the age of The Secret and manifesting and “positive vibes only”, magical thinking helps us feel more in control of our lives amidst the chaos of modern life. Montell argues that our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, with the result of our irrationality being “turned up to an eleven.”
by Christina Lauren
This page-turning adventure features Lily Wilder, who grew up as the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder. Since his death, Lily has been using his coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. Her latest trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, with the group wondering if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure is actually true.
by Jo Piazza
Another amazing podcaster (Under The Influence, Committed) and author (We Are Not Like Them, How to Be Married), Jo Piazza has written an engrossing novel rooted in her own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect. Piazza has also released a podcast of the same name of her investigation of the murder of her grandmother in Sicily.
ADHD For Smart Ass Women: How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain
by Tracy Otsuka
Certified ADHD coach and podcast host Tracy Otsuka uses her experience coaching thousands of women, cutting-edge medical research, and personal insights from her own diagnosis to present a guide tailored specifically for women with ADHD. In it, she offers a set of tools, systems, and strategies for boundless productivity, focus, and confidence.
Unfortunately, the medical research does not account for symptoms manifesting differently in women—leading to increased problems with anxiety, depression, working memory, sleep, energy, and concentration (particularly in midlife when hormones are shifting and life is especially busy and challenging)—many ADHD women are left to navigate a society that fails to understand their struggles and gifts.
How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working With Your Brain Not Against It
by Jessica McCabe
Jessica McCabe is the creator of the award-winning YouTube channel How to ADHD and shares the hard-won insights and practical strategies that have helped her survive, even thrive, in a world not built for the neurodivergent brain.
This is an easy read, with tons of helpful tips and tactics for navigating every aspect of life, from productivity and memory to relationships and sleep.
Have you read any of these books? What are you reading this month?